Alphabakes Roundup October 2014 - I

There are certain letters that I know will stump even some of our best Alphabakers, and this month it was one of those letters. With 'i' you could enter anything with a bit of icing on the top but I know many of you want something more challenging than that, and to be honest there aren't a million different things you could make beginning with i! It hasn't been all bad that the roundup is shorter this month as I am still in the middle of decorating and unpacking - the house is looking very good now (I will share before and after photos if anyone is interested!) but I haven't had as much time for blogging.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make something this month and send it in their entry.

First up we have Kim at Cakes from Kim who made these Isle of Man cupcakes. Read her post to see the reason why she bought some Manx-themed cookie cutters; and why she is now being haunted by triskelions. I think the cupcakes look very professional!

 Laura at I'd Much Rather Bake Than sent these chocolate chip iced latte crumble muffins, using a carton of iced coffee she'd been given as a promotion - I love it when random ingredients inspire you to bake! I'll leave Laura to describe the muffins in her own words as her description made my mouth water: "cushiony soft and tender, obligingly moist from the homemade buttermilk and substantial enough to give you the satisfaction of a proper bite of cake each time without being stodgy or weighty. The hit of coffee floats around the whole muffin riding on the wave of creaminess initiated by the iced drink, ricocheting off each little chunk of chocolate and complemented by the crunch of crumble topping".

I made a savoury dish as I was a bit pushed for time this month so I made a dinner that doubled as my Alphabakes entry. It's called Island Chicken, though I'm not sure which island - the recipe calls for marinaded chicken coated in breadcrumbs, accompanied by a sauce made using vinegar, soy sauce, paprika, celery salt, cloves and rosemary. It sounds a bit odd but did taste very good!

Who says it's too cold for ice cream? Not Kate at the Gluten Free Alchemist, who sent us this rhubarb, blueberry and honey ice cream. She used the last of the rhubarb from her own garden and it's a 'no churn' recipe which means it is quick and easy to make. Sounds like my kind of ice cream!

Suelle at Mainly Baking was looking for a traditional recipe from a country beginning with I for her Alphabakes entry, which I think is a really good way to approach it! She came up with these klaicha, which are date-filled pastries from Iraq. She found the soft dough quite difficult to shape but not knowing what these are supposed to look like, I think they are perfectly fine!

My co-host for Alphabakes, Ros at The More Than Occasional Baker, also picked a country as her starting point and made these beautiful Italian espresso cupcakes with hazelnut centre. She used a Giotto - a nutty chocolate similar to Ferrero Rocher - in the centre of each cake as a hidden surprise, as well as one on top for decoration.

My mum Jacqueline stuck to something simple and traditional - iced sponge, which she cut into squares, to go into my dad's lunchbox at work no doubt!

Cushiony soft and tender, obligingly moist from the homemade buttermilk and substantial enough to give you the satisfaction of a proper bite of cake each time without being stodgy or weighty. The hit of coffee floats around the whole muffin riding on the wave of creaminess initiated by the iced drink, ricocheting off each little chunk of chocolate and complemented by the crunch of the crumble topping. - See more at: http://idmuchratherbakethan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/chocolate-chip-iced-latte-crumble.html#sthash.9WVTX8Tf.dpuf

Cushiony soft and tender, obligingly moist from the homemade buttermilk and substantial enough to give you the satisfaction of a proper bite of cake each time without being stodgy or weighty. The hit of coffee floats around the whole muffin riding on the wave of creaminess initiated by the iced drink, ricocheting off each little chunk of chocolate and complemented by the crunch of the crumble topping - See more at: http://idmuchratherbakethan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/chocolate-chip-iced-latte-crumble.html#sthash.9WVTX8Tf.dpuf

Alexandra, the Lass in the Apron, has a challenge with her family where they make a recipe from a book, and this time it was CS Lewis' Voyage of the Dawn Treader, from the Chronicles of Narnia series. I don't think there's a lot of food in that particular book which is why Alexandra decided to make strawberry ice cream, even though the fruit is out of season: it looks like it turned out really well!

More ice cream, this time from Sarah at School of Balance. She sent us this 'monkey nut' ice cream, so called because it contains banana, hazelnuts and chocolate. It's vegan so dairy free, which would also be good for lactose intolerant people. This was my first visit to her site, which is full of healthy recipes.

Finally we have these green goo iced buns for Halloween from Vaesther at Bangers and Mash. They are fluffy bread rolls filled with rhubarb jam and covered in black lemon-flavoured icing. They are perfect to make with the kids for a Halloween party!

Thanks to everyone who took part this month as we had yet another difficult letter... let's hope that Ros chooses something easier for November - though it's random so who knows? She will be announcing which letter we are baking with over at The More Than Occasional Baker on Nov 1.